This week saw our national Boccia team depart for Cairo, Egypt, where they will represent South Africa at the Cairo 2025 World Boccia Africa Regional Championships, scheduled to take place from 28 July to 3 August 2025.
The South African delegation, consisting of athletes, ramp operators, and assistants from across the country, will compete in all four Boccia classification categories: BC1, BC2, BC3, and BC4. Their participation is the result of months of dedicated training, planning, and coordination led by the South African Sports Association for the Physically Disabled (SASAPD), in partnership with local clubs and community support structures.
Among the headline athletes are Karabo Morapedi and Elanza Jordaan, who made history by securing qualification for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games after winning gold at the previous continental championship. Both athletes will again compete in the BC3 category, supported by ramp operators Matobako Vincent Ramochela and Sandré Jordaan, respectively. Jordaan, a learner at Paarl School in Brackenfell, represents St Giles Boccia Club in the Western Cape.
Sheena Hwami, also competing in the BC3 category, will be supported by Annah Moichela. The BC1 class will see Seipati Majoe, a decorated athlete from Tumahole in the Free State, and Samuel Tshilunga represent the country. They are accompanied by assistants Deliwe Banti and Tshibangu Consolate Tshilunga.
In BC2, the team features Brett Russel Dakin, Tywhineesha Recqueline Stoffels, and Liakath Aziz, a prominent athlete affiliated with the Boccia Bandits Sports Club. Aziz also serves on the World Boccia Athletes Committee and continues to play a significant role in the sport’s development in South Africa.
Rounding out the team in the BC4 category are Thominic von Schlicht and Naledi Nhlapo, the latter representing Marti du Plessis Sports Club in the Free State.
The team is further supported by Reinet Barnard, Head of Development at SASAPD and a senior member of the St Giles Boccia Club, which has contributed significantly to the growth of Boccia in the Western Cape and Aamina Chothia ( New Hope School ).
SASAPD extends its sincere thanks to all partners, coaches, families, and supporters who have made this tour possible. The Cairo 2025 World Boccia Africa Regional Championships provide not only a platform for performance but also an opportunity to further promote inclusive excellence on the African continent.
Team South Africa travels with pride and purpose, and the entire nation stands behind them.
#TeamSouthAfrica #Cairo2025 #SASAPD #Boccia #WorldBocciaAfrica #ParaSport #RoadToParis2024
